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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Once again, always thinking of food the kids would like to eatThis IS a Cauliflower Cheese, without the usual Cheese SauceBUT as you will see, using the leftovers, I did make the Cheese Sauce and it was yummyI found this recipe in the NY Times Cooking Column. Martha Rose Shulman is the author in fact My Grandchildren love vegetables, so it's good to find different ways, to serve food to develop their palate I did like the idea of using Green Cauliflower, a very pretty vegetable

Break up the cauliflower into small florets while you bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and drop in the cauliflower. Boil 5 minutes while you fill a bowl with ice and water. Transfer the cauliflower to the ice water, let sit for a couple of minutes, This stops the cooking process and keeps the Cauliflower nice and firmthen drain and place on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 175C Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes, and add a pinch of salt and the garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, until fragrant and translucent. Remove from the heat and stir in the olives.Place the cauliflower in the baking dish and Add the onion and olive mixture, the remaining olive oil, the parsley and half the cheese.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir together well. Spread out in the dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is nicely browned.

Serve hot or warm.I served this with Roast Chicken

The next dayI looked at the leftovers and of course "a bake" came to mind

Very simple
Just make a simple Bechamel Sauce
Flavour it with some grated cheese
Voila...another dish has been created

Melt butter in a small pot
Add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, to get rid of the raw flour taste
Season with S & P
Add milk gradually
Stir vigorously and keep on the heat
A wooden spoon is best or a wire whiskKeep on stirring till the sauce begins to thicken
When it is bubbling
Let it cook for another 2-3 minutes
Stir every so often to stop lumps forming and make sure it doesn't stick
Add grated cheese

In a gratin dish, layer the chicken and cauliflower
Cover with sauce

Top with extra grated cheese

This is good to freeze at this stage
I have excellent Pyrex dishes, just big enough for 1 person

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

After making lasagne yesterday I had Leftover Meat Sauce and Leftover Béchamel
I wanted to make something different with them, rifled through my fridge and pantry and found Carrots, Potatoes and some spinach
I haven't specified quantities
I think you just use what you have, I had a couple of cups of meat sauce and about a cup of Bechamel
if you want to see how to make the Meat Sauce and Bechamel have a look here

Saturday, November 19, 2016

Celery goes so well with Blue Cheese
So let’s take advantage of this pairing, to make some little delights to have with drinks

So so simple…I got the idea from The New York Times Cooking Web site
and of course as usual have adapted it to my taste buds

Generally most people have the ingredients in the fridge or pantry
Their recipe called for buttered toast
Cover with a slice of Blue Cheese and top with a celery salad

If you use Castello Blue Cheese, as I did, I don't think there is any need for butter
It is quite a mild, creamy blue cheese,
That's enough
Ingredients I haven't put quantities, I think you can work that out

Then just finely slice a stalk of celery
Plus a spring onion finely sliced
Sprinkle with Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black pepper
a tablespoon of French Dressing
Don't dress the salad till you are nearly ready
Want the vegetables to remain crisp
I used Vogel’s Bread… the thin sliced

Toast the bread and let cool in a toast rack so that it stays crisp
Or lean it up against something while it cools, to let the steam out
When you are ready to serve
Spread the toast with a thick layer of blue cheese
Spoon over the Celery Salad

Friday, November 18, 2016

This recipe from the Epicurious Site by Larraine Perri was originally for Prawns but my Grandson is not so wrapped in Prawns so I substituted Chicken
I decided to poach the chicken in coconut milk and water, flavoured with basil and peppercorns and a shallot. These added extras, made a flavoursome stock to cook the rice Always love extra flavour There was enough of the cooked rice to fill 5 peppers plus some leftover.

First poach the chicken
Place the coconut milk, water, basil, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, lime zest, sugarand shallot into a pot and slowly bring to the boil
Add the chicken breasts, make sure the chicken is covered
Bring back up to a simmer and let gently simmer for about 5 minutes
Turn off the heat cover and let cool in the pot for a couple of hours
The chicken will be perfectly cooked
Remove from the potStrain the liquor, there should be approx 3 cups enough to cook the rice
Shred the chicken
Meanwhile
In a large pot, bring 8 inches of water to a low boil. Cut off top third of each bell pepper and reserve;
remove ribs and seeds.Boil peppers and tops until slightly soft, 5 minutes;

Remove peppers and drain

Then start on the rice
In a medium pan over medium heat,Heat oil. Cook ginger and garlic, 1 minute. Add the rice

Add chicken liquid, about 3 cups Season with more salt and pepper
It does need to be well seasoned then bring to a low boil till it bubbles awayWhen it looks like boiling mud poolsTake off heat
Cover and leave for about 10 minutes
Add shredded chicken. basil and cashews nuts and lime juice

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary
Stuff the pepper with the mixture
Well oil a baking dishAdd stuffed peppers
Heat oven to 170C
Pour an inch of water in bottom of dish. Cover with foil and bake until warm, 15 -25 minutes

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

When my husband was in hospital, I was always thinking of treats to take up to him
Everyone was talking about Cinnabons
Those wonderful rich Cinnamon Rolls
I had a look through the Food Network Site for a recipe
The Americans do these kind of rolls, so well
Paula Deen the Queen of Rich and Over the Top food, had this recipe
So I made them
It was so so popular
He loved them